Method for assembling the cylinders of a radial engine



Oct. 11, 1949. A LEE 2,484,516

METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING THE CYLINDERS OF A RADIAL ENGINE Filed NOV. 22, 1946 Patented Oct. 11, 1949 UNI-TED S-TA'EEYS PATENT cr mes.

METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING THE CYLINDERS. 1 OF A RADIAL ENGINE Ashe Lee, Utica, N". Y. 1 application November 22, 1946, seminar-11,593.

internal combustion engine in which the fuel charge is ignited by compression. The engine substitutes inlet and exhaust ports in the cylinders for valves for the admission of air and for scavenging the products of combustion. The said inlet and exhaust ports in the cylinders are governed by dual parallel pistons moving in unison in dual parallelly disposed cylinders.

The engine is constructed with a plurality of said dual cylinders arranged in radial relation to a common crank shaft. Each of said cylinders is fed and timed by a variable stroke bellows pump which is actuated by a single automatic advance variable lift cam having a tapered surface for elevating the mechanism for actuating the bellows pump, whereby to meter and time the injection of the fuel into the cylinder.

There is employed annular bands or hoops for holding the plurality of cylinders and crank case in assembled position about the crankshaft,

whereby said bands absorb all strains and stresses.

The invention is designed also to permit of a greater number of power units or cylinders arranged radially around the crank case than heretofore by the use of annular stress bands or hoops above mentioned, which encircle all cylinder heads, whereby to hold said cylinder and crank case in assembled position.

Heretofore, the cylinder were spaced from each other necessarily for the reason that it was necessary to leave space for bolts used to hold said cylinders in place around the crank case. The present construction eliminates the use of bolts. Furthermore, the hoops or bands permit not only a closer clustering but also a larger number of cylinders around a smaller and lighter crank case, thereby considerably reducing wind resistance.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a detail enlarged view showing a transverse section of the annular channel bands and immediate parts connected thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the crank casing of the engine is represented by I from which radiate nine dual pairs of cylinders 2, 2 provided with fins 3 for radiating heat. Each dual pair of cylinders 2, 2 has a common head 4 3. Claims. (Cl. 121-494) having; shoulders. 5', 5 for fitting to the outer ends of cylinders 2, 2. The plurality of heads 4 are held together by two annular channel shaped bands or hoops 6, B slidingly mounted on the tapered outer surface of heads 4. Brackets I, I having hooks Ia engage the peripheral rim of bands 6, 6. Said brackets are held together by cross rods 3 having heads at one end and nuts 9 at the other. Said cross rods 8 are disposed between cylinders and may be tightened to draw bands 8, 6 against shoulders 5 of heads 4. Said bands 6, 6 thus encircling the whole number of heads 4 and tend to compress said heads 4 and their respective cylinders 2 and the crank case I towards a common center into one compact mass or unit about the crankshaft I0.

Fig. 1 shows also pumps 3|, tubes 21 connected to said pump-s, nozzles 26 attached to said tubes 21, guide bearings 48, annular casing I86 and bolts I87 for securing it to an auxiliary casing, not shown.

In operation after the cylinders 2 are assembled the annular channel shaped bands 6, 6 are mounted laterally from each side of cylinders 2 upon the outer inclined or tapered surfaces of heads 4. Brackets I are then applied to the annular channel shaped members 6 with their hooks Ia engaging said channel members 6 and bolts 8 projected through said brackets I. Nuts 9 are then tightened on bolts 8 to draw annular channel shaped members 6, 6 towards each other up the inclined tapered outer surfaces of the cylinderheads 4, whereby to compress said heads 4 and their respective cylinders 2 and crank case I towards a common center or into one compact mass or unit about the crankshaft I0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is as follows:

1. In a dual compression ignition engine, a plurality of cylinders arranged in a'circle, heads of said cylinders having tapered surfaces, bands engaging said tapered surfaces, brackets engaging said bands and rods connecting said brackets and means mounted on said rods, whereby to draw said brackets and bands towards each other to hold the cylinders in assembled position.

2. In a dual compression ignition engine, a plurality of cylinders arranged in a circle, heads on said cylinders having tapered surfaces, annular channel bands engaging said tapered surfaces, brackets engaging said bands, rods connecting said brackets, and nuts mounted on said rods, whereby to draw said brackets and bands towards REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Newcomb Apr, 4, 1911 Ricardo May 21, 1912 Number Number Number 4 Name Date Wallis Sept. 1, 1914 Sieverkropp Apr. 27, 1920 Maha June 20, 1922 Woolson June 6, 1933 Gosslau Oct. 10, 1933 Tibbetts Oct. 31, 1933 Woolson Oct. 31, 1933 Baur May 8, 1934 Shoemaker June 19, 1934 Searle Apr. 27, 1937 Schjolin Oct. 18, 1938 Hirth Jan. 2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 7, 1914 Great Britain Aug. 7, 1935 Australia Oct. 7, 1938 France 1934 

